Bottle-carrier.



E. L. CUMMINGS.

BOTTLE CARRIER.

APPLIGATION FILED 4113.6, 1911.

Inventor' .T

10i/we @e S I specification, vlike, letters on the representing like parts.

l FREDERICK L. CU'IVIMINGS. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOTTLE-CARRIER.

Specification. of Letters Estant.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Application led April 6, 1911. Serial No. 619,347.

To all v'ec/luren, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. CUM- MING'S, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Boston, in the county of Su'olk and State of Massachusetts. have invented an Improvement in Bottle- (larriers, of which the following description, in-connec.` tion with the accompanying drawings, is a drawings The present-day practice of retailers to `furnish purchasers of merchandise vWith handle carriers therefor has created a demand for a type ofcarrier of simple construct-ion which may be conveniently packaged in large numbers, and sulliciently inexpensive so that the cost thereof is not a. serious item in the selling expense. My invention is designed to supply such a.I carrier especially adapted for bottles, such as milk bottles and the like, having these and other desirable attributes.

My improved carrier is preferably formed of aA single piece of wire bent. and looped in anoyel manner so as to be self-adjusting *e the necks of bottles of a considerable myersity of sizes, and, Whenl adjusted to carrying position, to securely clamp a considerable part of the circumference of the bottle neck: the construct-ion being such that the turning of the bail or handle part of the carrier around to carrying position securely clamps and locks the gripping portions to the bottle neck; the construct-ion is further such that the. carriers as formed ready for use lie iat so that they can be readily nested for packing.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, and thereafter pointed out in t-he appended claims. g

.Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front 'elevation of my improved carrier;

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof; and Fig. 3 is a side` View of the same as applied and adjusted to carrying posit-ion on a bottle.

A Wire 10, of a size so as to be bendable Without. great. effort yet of some considerable rigidity and elastic property, is formed with a. bail or handle portion 11. From one side of the bail the wire extends angularly for some distance as at 12 to a sharp bend 13 extending thence in a circularly curved neck-clamping portion 11 and terminating in another sharp bend .15 forming a hook 20 engageable with the bend v13 as cleariy shown in Fig. 1.` A hand grip 21,

usually made of Wood, may be "fitted over` the bail portion 11. As before stated` the Wire is preferably formed of elastic stock, and the circularly curved portions 14 and. 18 are bent so 'that' the space normally inclosed thereby is' as small or smaller thanthe sizes of bottle to be usually carried.

It will be observed that, by virtue of the capacity of the portion 17 to slide through the bend 15,- the circularly curved-portion 11 may beexpanded Within considerable limits to cooperate with the portion 18 in clamping bottle necks of a Wide variety of sizes. Further, that after these4 portions 14C and 1S are snapped over the bottle neck, the bail 11 being turned up at right angles to the portions 14, 18, 2'. e. lengthwise-of the bottle in position to carry the same as shown in Fig. 3, a rectangular bend is formed at 22 coperative with the bend 15 to lock the portions 14, 18 in secure clamping engagement with the bottle neck. It is to be further observed that, in case it isv desiredto clamp a bottle neck smaller than the normal aperture between the' circularly curved parts 14, 18, these may be inserted over the bott-le neck and the side wire portion 17 drawn through thevbend 15 .until the portions 14, 18 tight-ly engage the bottle neck, when the bail may be lturned up int-0j locking-carrying position as described.

In the preferred form shown, the hand grip portion of the bail is made relatively,

Wide toaccommodate the hand and the side portions 12, 17 converge toward the neck clamping portions. This feature of construction is importantand desirable not only' in affording a Wider hand grip but, particularlyin the case of the converging portion 17, as thisfis slid through the bend 15 to enlarge the neck clamping aperture,v

the out-Ward slant of the Wire will insure its continued firm seating in the bottomof the bend 15, while after the handle portion is turned up vertically this bowed-out form prevents any casual disengagement which might result from a slipping of the handle downward through its hook, were it extended straighbup therefrom.

I thus produce a bottle carrier which can be made in Wholesale quantities at a cost so insignificant as to be nol serious .item in the 'sales expenses; further, the carrier as supplied to the trade lies fiat and virtually in one plane, so that it can be nested and boxed with the greatest facility.

I consider the construction Vwhereby. the neck-clamping portions are self-adjustable to locking position, and that. whereby they are locked by a simple movement of the bail' to carrying position, as of primary impertance, 'and I desire' to cover this construe.

tion broadly, as also the embodiment Wherein a carrier having these attributes is termed from a single piece of Wire stock bent as described.

Having described my invention7 what I claim as 'new and desire to secure by Letfters Patent is: f,

4 1. A bott-le carrier, composed of wire bent dto lie 'tlatwise substantially in a plane with its end portions formed into a bottle neck clamping opening, the -Wire converging to the opening` formed oit' such end portions from a relatively wide handle Isgi-ip formed of the central portion of the Wire.

2. A bottle carrier, composed of Wire formed centrally as a relativeiy wide handit grip and with intermediate portions een verging to a bett/le neck clamping opening formed of the end portions of the Wire, the Wire to form this 'openin having one end bent to embrace one side o a bottle neck and formed yWith a hook at its extremity, and the other end adapted to slide through said hook with a bend to embrace the other side of the bottle neck and its extremity formed 'with a hook to engage with a Wire aty the side ot the bottle opposite said irst hook, said bail and said two neck clann'iing portions lying in a conn'non plane before application to the bottle, whereby the clamp open-` ing may be adjusted by sliding the vwire through. the first named hook, ant the clanxpng portions may ybe securely1 locked in clamping engagement with. the bottle neck and against relative movement by bending the bail portions ot said hooks at right angles to its initial position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my naine to this siieciticat-ien in the presence oft two subscribing Witness s.`

'FREDERICK L. GUMMINGS.

-.Vitnesses tt/'ALTER I. Oseoon, Anm-ii in Falun En N. 

